"Scientists have documented for the first time that banned flame retardants have declined in people in the United States, where levels of the chemicals had been growing exponentially."

"The small study, published today, reported that levels in pregnant California women were 65 percent lower than in a similar group of women tested three years earlier.

The two flame retardants have been banned in the United States since 2004. But many experts have been concerned about their persistence because they break down slowly in human tissues and were widely used in products, such as sofas, that people keep for many years."